Whiffletree-hook.



PATENTED DEG. 12,1905.

Bu 0 w M5 01 H L HEM ARE TTu 8 3: -L IT Hm Wu P P? A 0 A m y ed inaccordance with my invention.

JOHN STAHL, ()F MANITOWOC COUNTY, I/VISOONSIN.

WHIFFLETREE-HOOK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

Application filed June 15, 1905- Serial No. 265,344.

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J omv STAHL, a citizen of the United States,residing in Manitowoc county, Wisconsin, whose post-office address isHayton, county of Calumet, State of Wisconsin, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in VVhifi letree-Hooks; and I do declare thefollowin to be a full, clear, and exact description 0 the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in hooks for whiffietrees,swingletrees, and the like; and its object is to provide a hook of thischaracter with a simple and eflicient locking-spring to prevent the tugor trace Eon}; becoming casually disengaged from the With the above andother objects in view the invention consists of certain novel featuresof construction, combination, and arran ement of parts, as will be morefully descri ed, and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanyin drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevationof a whietree-hook consruct- 1g. 2 is a detail longitudinal sectional view ofthe same, and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings by numeral, 1 denotes a whiflietree-hook ofthe usual'forrn which is loosely connected to an attachingeap 2, adaptedto be placed upon the end of a whiifl'etree, swingletree, or otherdraft-tree. The connection between the hook and attaching-cap ispreferably formed by having the usual eye 3 upon one end of the hookengaged with an eye 4, provided upon the end of the cap 2.

The opening or mouth 5 of the hook 1 is' adapted to be closed to preventcasual displacement of the trace, tug, or other element engaged with thehookby a flat spring 6, which has a curved outer end 7 adapted to bearagainst the inner face of the free end 8 of the hook. The inner end 9 ofthe spring 6 is seated and secured in a recess 10, formed in the innerface of the hook 1 and in the inwardly and rearwardly inclined face 11of a projecting portion or lug 12, formed upon the hook, as clearlyshown in the drawings. This portion 12 supports the spring 6 in itsproper position and materially strengthens the same, while the groove orseat 10 prevents the spring from shifting laterally. The end 9 of thespring is preferably retained in the seat or groove 10 by a rivet 13, asclearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The construction, use, and advantages of the invention will be readilyunderstood from the foregoing description, taken inconnection with theaccompanying drawings. It will be seen that a trace or tug maybe readilyslipped into the hook 1 and will be prevented from casually sliding outof it by the spring 6, which closes the mouth 5 of the hook.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

As a new article of manufacture, the herein-described U-shapedwhiffletree-hook comprising the arm and bill, substantially in parallelrelation and curved at their meeting, merging ends, said arm having aneye at its outer end, and provided near its inner end, on the sideopposite to the bill, with an inwardly-projecting lug forming areinforce thereof and having an inclined face, and a flat spring seatedand secured to the said arm, bearing against the inclined face of saidlug, and bearing near its outer end against the bill of the hook.

' In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

- JOHN STAHL. Witnesses; I. GRAITE,

R. W. BURKE.

